The Wolf Weekly

Wonderful Wolf Families,

The pack spent the week spreading HOWLiday cheer! During their winter concert, our band performed at Grapevine High School. Wolf Time Choir carolled at the GCISD's administrative building. Additionally, both band and choir traveled to neighboring elementary schools to share their talents. Our Spanish IV class walked to Timberline and practiced their language skills while sharing their holiday spirit. See below for pictures from some of these events.

Welcome to the last week of the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year! Our wolves will have TEKS checks and semester wrap up activities this week. See below for more details. Also, take a few minutes to check Skyward to ensure all grades are in so we can end the semester on a great note.

On Friday, we will celebrate the first semester, starting with a pep rally at 8:20 a.m. CTMS PTA is providing popcorn to all wolves. HOWL to PTA! Concessions will be for sale, cash only, after the pep rally. The wolves have early release on Friday, December 15. They will be released at 12:10 p.m. Thank you, PTA, for helping celebrate the end of the first semester!

All items in the lost and found will be donated after school on Friday. Take a few minutes to check the lost and found for sweatshirts, jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes, and more!

Looking forward to a wonderful last week of the semester week with the Pack!

Howl,

Jamie Halliburton

CTMS Principal

HOWL to all three bands for fantastic performances at GHS on Wednesday night!

Wolf Time Choir carolled for GCISD's administration building on Thursday!

Wolves in Mrs. Gigi's Spanish IV walked to Timberline Elementary for a holiday performance on Friday!

Thank you to the GCISD Education Foundation for awarding Dr. Otto a grant of over $600 to use on Crack the Code: Building Collaborative Minds with Breakout EDU!

Spinal Screening for 7th grade girls and 8th grade boys will be Friday, January 10, 2025. Parents will receive an email over the break with more information if they have a 7th grade girl or 8th grade boy. Please reach out to Nurse Riley if you have any questions!

As we approach the end of the semester, we would like to inform you about the upcoming mid-year assessments for GCISD middle schools. These assessments are a crucial part of gauging our wolves' progress and ensuring they meet the educational standards set by the district.

This semester, the mid-year assessments will include:

1. District Assessments (TEKS Checks): These assessments will cover the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to ensure students are meeting the required learning objectives.

2. Algebra District Assessment: A comprehensive exam to evaluate students' understanding and proficiency in Algebra.

3. Biology District Assessment: An in-depth assessment focusing on key concepts and knowledge in Biology.

4. In addition, high school courses will have semester exams that may include hands-on projects, written assessments, or group projects.

All mid-year assessments and semester exams will be given in a two week window from December 9-20, 2024. We encourage you to support your children in their preparation for these assessments by ensuring they have a quiet place to study, a consistent study schedule, and all the necessary materials. Additionally, please remind your children to get plenty of rest and maintain a healthy diet during this period.

We are unable to give district assessments early. If your wolf is absent for any exams, they will have an opportunity to take them on January 7, 2025. Please contact your wolf's school counselor if this applies to your wolf, and they will get them scheduled to make up their tests on January 7.

This year, we will be following our traditional schedule for assessments. This will keep routines in place as we close out the semester.

If you have any questions or need further information about the exams, please do not hesitate to contact your child's teacher or the school administration.

CTMS will reset dress code expectations upon our return in January. During the first semester, we primarily provided warnings, reminders, and opportunities for wolves to self-correct. Moving forward, CTMS will adhere to GCISD's established dress code guidelines and apply appropriate consequences for non-compliance. We ask families to partner with us in ensuring wolves follow the dress code to minimize disruptions to the school day and maintain a focus on learning.

Our most common infraction during the first semester was inappropriate length of shorts and IDs. As a reminder of expectations the GCISD Dress Code is linked below.

GCISD Dress Code

Any infraction addressed will be documented in Skyward using the following parameters:

● First infraction: Warning, wolf makes a change to meet dress code standards, and then may return to class.

● Second infraction: Consequence given (detention or similar), wolf makes a change to meet dress code standards, and then may return to class.

● Third infraction: Consequence given (1 day of ISS), wolf makes a change to meet dress code standards, and then may return to class.

● Subsequent infractions may be addressed as persistent misbehavior pursuant to the GCISD Student Code of Conduct.

CTMS PTA Spirit Shop is OPEN! Check out the available items HERE.

Your kind words of encouragement truly uplift our teachers and staff! If you have a positive experience to share, we’d love to hear about it! Use this form to leave a shout out for our amazing wolf staff!

Click here for the official district calendar for the 2024-2025 school year

• December 15 ~ End of early bird pricing for cotillion (see above)

• December 19 ~ PTA Candy gram delivery during Wolf Time

• December 20 ~ Pep Rally at 8:20 a.m./Early release at 12:10 p.m.

• January 8 ~ Students Return to School

• January 10 ~ Spinal Screening for Students 8 - 11:30 am

• January 13 ~ PTA General Meeting (see above for details)

• February 5 ~ 5th grade information night at CTMS

Middle School Health Just Say YES - Determined to Succeed (6th Grade) Parent Preview - Additional Opportunity

GCISD uses several resources and programs for middle school health curriculum in order to be proactive in our delivery of education concerning human sexuality.

Determined to Succeed will be presented to your student according to the campus schedule, found in the Parent Preview Letter linked here.

Parents may participate in an additional opportunity to preview this program on December 19, 2024, at 5:30 PM online using the links provided in the Parent Preview Letter linked here.

After the Parent Preview has been conducted, every parent will be asked to indicate their preference of participation for their child electronically in the forms section of Skyward or by completing and returning a paper consent form by the deadlines established on the Parent Preview Letter linked below for each campus.

These deadlines allow each campus time to adequately prepare spaces, supervision, and account for student attendance. Thank you in advance for adhering to these deadlines.

Spanish

Salud Escolar en la escuela secundaria- Solo dí sí: Decidido a tener éxito (Just Say YES - Determined to Succeed) (6° grado)-Presentación Preliminar para Padres

GCISD utiliza varios recursos y programas para el plan de estudios de salud escolar en las escuelas preparatorias con el fin de ser proactivos en ofrecer una educación sobre la sexualidad humana.

El Programa Decidido a tener éxito (Determined to Succeed) será presentado a su estudiante según el horario escolar que se encuentra en la Carta de Presentación Preliminar para Padres en este enlace.

Los padres pueden obtener una presentación preliminar de este programa el 19 de diciembre del 2024 a las 5:30 PM en línea utilizando los enlaces proporcionados en la Carta de Presentación Preliminar para Padres que se encuentra aqui.

Después de que se haya realizado la presentación preliminar se pedirá a cada padre que indique su preferencia de participación de su hijo en la presentación; podrán hacer esto electrónicamente en la sección de formularios de Skyward o llenando y regresando un formulario de consentimiento en papel antes de las fechas límite establecidas en la Carta de Presentación Preliminar para Padres en el enlace que se encuentra a continuación para cada escuela.

Estas fechas límites permiten que cada escuela tenga tiempo para preparar adecuadamente los espacios, la supervisión y la contabilidad de la asistencia de los estudiantes. Gracias de antemano por respetar estos plazos.

GCISD is partnering with Recovery Resource Council to bring Drug and Alcohol prevention curriculum to middle school students during the 2024-25 Spring semester. As approved by the GCISD Student Health Advisory Committee, sixth graders will receive eight lessons using the Positive Action curriculum during PE/Pre-Athletics, and seventh and eighth graders will each receive one Drug & Alcohol Prevention lesson. All students will participate in this program unless a Parent Opt Out is received. If you need a paper copy of this, please contact your Student Advocate. We will be providing a virtual Parent Preview via Zoom link on Dec. 11th at 10:00 AM. (Meeting ID: 883 4600 2092) Please see the flyer below with more details. If you have any questions/concerns, you can reach out to Allyiah Daniels at allyiah.daniels@gcisd.net or 817-251-5323.

CTMS Dates (these are subject to change)

• 6th Grade - 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/20, 2/25

• 7th Grade - 1/13

• 8th Grade - 1/15

• School Hours: 8:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Doors Open: 7:45 a.m.
• Wolves enter the building through the C hall doors or the SAC doors. 6th & 8th grade wolves wait in the SAC and 7th grade wolves wait in the lecture hall for the bell to walk to first period.
• Bell Schedule
• Campus Map (click present for easier viewing)
• Front Office: 817-251-5320
• Mascot: Wolf
• School Colors: Silver & Black
• Planners: All wolves use a planner at CTMS. This is to assist with organizing, prioritizing, and planning. You can purchase a CTMS planner for $5 on the first day of school or use one of your choosing. Wolves use their planners daily.
• Student IDs: All wolves who did not attend Wolf Camp or Registration will be issued a temporary CTMS ID on the first day of school. The first IDs are free and replacement IDs are $5 and $1 for replacement lanyard. Per the student code of conduct, IDs are to be worn daily by all CTMS students and staff.
• Lost & Found: The Front Office currently has several pieces of jewelry, keys, glasses and phones that are lost and have found their way to the office! Come by to check to see if your item was found!

Attendance

Lache Nealy

817-251-5326

lache.nealy@gcisd.net

Counselors

Molly Brown (last names A-K)

817-251-5315

molly.brown@gcisd.net

Rachel Smith (last names L-Z)

817-251-5312

rachel.smith@gcisd.net

Student Advocate

Allyiah Daniels

817-251-5323

Allyiah.Daniels@gcisd.net

Registrar

Ilia Kaku

817-251-5314

ilia.kaku@gcisd.net

Nurse

Riley Heimuli

817-251-5337

riley.heimuli@gcisd.net

Assistant Principals

Alishia Ilic (last names A-K)

817-251-5313

alishia.ilic@gcisd.net

Cinthia Morales (last names L-Z)

817-251-5317

cinthia.morales@gcisd.net

Principal

Jamie Halliburton

817-251-5320

jamie.halliburton@gcisd.net

In need of a new charger for a school issued Chromebook, click here for information on how to order a new one.

Thank you for helping our wolves be prepared for school each day by ensuring their Chromebooks are charged nightly!

Click here to see the updated secondary grading policy from GCISD. All wolf pack teachers will be following this policy this school year to communicate the progress of each wolf.

Grades are a method of communicating the progress each wolf is making at CTMS. If you ever have questions or concerns over a grade, please reach out directly to the teacher.

Here is the link for the 2024-2025 GCISD Student/Parent Handbook and Code of Conduct :https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/studentparent-handbook.

GCISD's Student-Parent Handbook contains information that students, parents and staff are likely to need during the school year. In addition, both students and parents need to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct. Both students and parents should become familiar with the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Student Code of Conduct, which is a document adopted by the board and intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for learning.

Middle school students may use telecommunications devices before and after school, and during

lunch. They may not use telecommunications devices during passing periods or classes.

What does this mean for the wolves?

• Devices can be used before 8:00 a.m., during lunch, and after 3:30 p.m.
• Smartwatches can be worn as long as they are used for telling time.
• Earbud, airpods, and the like will not be used in the hallway or during class time.

Starting Wednesday, November 6th, we will implement a new CTMS practice for forgotten wolf IDs. As a reminder, the wearing of student IDs is part of the GCISD dress codes and outlined in the student code of conduct. We want to ensure consistency and encourage responsibility among our wolves, so each wolf will begin with a fresh start on this date.

The updated practice is as follows:

1. First forgotten ID: Verbal warning.
2. Second forgotten ID: Lunch detention.
3. Third forgotten ID: Two lunch detentions.
4. Fourth forgotten ID: Parent phone call, and a replacement ID will be automatically charged to the wolf's Skyward account.
5. Fifth forgotten ID: In-school suspension (ISS) for repeated dress code offenses.

Additionally, please note that failure to return temporary IDs will result in lunch detention.

All wolves receive IDs, free of charge, on picture day. For those wolves who join the pack after picture day, they receive IDs when registering. Replacement IDs can be purchased from Ms. Richards in the front office before school or during lunch daily.

Thank you for your support in helping our wolves build good habits and follow GCISD expectations!

Exciting News! CTMS Now Offers a New Online Purchase Option for Student ID's and Wolf Lanyards!

We are excited to announce that CTMS has added a new, convenient way for students and parents to complete your ID purchase needs online! This new payment option makes it easier and faster than ever before. You will find this payment option on the GCISD.net web page under the Quick Links heading and navigate to the red square reading RevTrak and click on it. the new window is where you can create your personal Web Store account. Once your account is created, click on the Middle Schools square and choose Cross Timbers Middle School. Complete your purchase* through the Security/Dress Code option. Students will be able to finalize their order in Mrs. Richards' office the following day once ID is personalized with the students' photo download. We hope this will be a helpful addition to preparing you student for a successful day at school everyday!

*Purchase includes both the I.D. and Lanyard if student doesn't have one or both of these items*

Student-Parent Handbook page 55: Except in emergencies, delivery of messages or packages to students will not be allowed during instructional time. A parent may leave a message or a package such as a forgotten lunch, for the student to pick up from the front office during a passing period or lunch. Students are not permitted to order food using delivery services such as UberEats, DoorDash, etc.

What this means for the pack: Wolf pack family members may drop items off items to the vestibule for wolves. Delivery services are not permitted. Wolves will visit the vestibule during passing periods to pick up items dropped off by parents.

For the protection of students and staff, all volunteer applicants must read the Volunteer Handbook (in Español) and are asked to apply online authorizing the district to obtain a criminal history background check.

Note: All volunteers are required to reapply each year.

Apply Online

GCISD utilizes Volunteer Tracker for volunteer applications and signing up for volunteer opportunities. Please follow the steps provided to sign up. If you have any questions about registration, please contact App-Garden at support@app-garden.com or submit a help ticket.

Email: ctms.info@gcisd.net
Website: https://ctms.gcisd.net/
Location: 2301 Pool Rd, Grapevine, TX 76051
Phone: 817-251-5320
Twitter: @CTMSWolfWay